For many years I’ve been fascinated by variations on yeast-free yogurt flatbread recipes (sometimes called yeast-free naan) that follow a loose formula of a cup of yogurt, a couple cups of flour, some salt, fat, and water. Sometimes there’s baking powder, sometimes there’s not. It’s kneaded together as you would a yeasted bread dough and left to rest for about 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, during which a transformation occurs and the dough becomes springy and smooth and very lovely to work with, like a freshly-opened can of Play-Doh. Once rolled thin, they’re pan-fried, and look, they’re fiiine. But they’re never as good as I want them to be.
With yeast scarce, I decided to revisit these flatbreads early in our Inside Days and see if I could make headway with them using scallion pancakes as my guide. The core of scallion pancakes [and, updated to add, other flatbreads such as parathas, parottas, roti canai, and malawach] is also a simple, yeast-free, dough, also kneaded and left to rest before you roll it out. But instead of frying them right away, you brush them with oil, sprinkle them with scallions (for scallion pancakes), and roll the pancake into a tight cigar, and then the cigar into a snail. This snail of wound dough is left to rest again, and then rolled into the final pancake. The hidden layers of flour and oil help the layers lift and separate into flaky layers as you fry the pancakes. And this layering, it turned out, was exactly what my one-dimensional yogurt flatbreads were missing.
From the outside, they look like any other tender, stretchy flatbread, but as you tear a piece off, an inner accordion emerges. And waft of buttered air. They deflate fairly fast but stay puffed (while you cook the rest or if you wish to rewarm them) in a 300 degree oven. And since this is one of the first recipes I worked on with a full apartment of noise vs. the relative peace of my Before work life — when I’d work on things throughout the afternoon and share at dinner — I had a lot of live commentary like “These are good!” And “I want more!” and “Wow, so puffy!” And “When are going to make them again?” Thus, you could call this a pre-approved recipe. I can’t wait to see how yours come out.
Previously
Six months ago: White Bean Soup with Crispy Kale
One year ago: Braised Ginger Meatballs in Coconut Broth
Two years ago: Fig Newtons and Cripsy Tofu Pad Thai
Three years ago: Granola Bark
Four years ago: Caramelized Brown Sugar Oranges with Yogurt and Potato Pizza, Even Better
Five years ago: Why You Should Always Toast Your Nuts (Please!) and Obsessively Good Avocado-Cucumber Salad
Six years ago: Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons and Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms
Seven years ago: Spinach and Smashed Egg Toast and Bee Sting Cake
Eight years ago: Over-the-Top Mushroom Quiche and Banana Bread Crepe Cake with Butterscotch
Nine years ago: Blackberry and Coconut Macaroon Tart
Ten years ago: Baked Kale Chips and Almond Macaroon Torte with Chocolate Frosting
Eleven years ago: Artichoke-Olive Crostini and Chocolate Caramel Crackers
Twelve years ago: Spring Panzanella and Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake
Thirteen years ago: Arborio Rice Pudding and Gnocchi with a Grater
Layered Yogurt Flatbreads
Update, 6/5/20: What I’m learning from your comments is that yogurt varies widely in how loose it is and if yours is on the wetter side, you may not need any added water here. So, I am updating the recipe to only add water as needed. I hope this resolves any issues with sticky dough. Stick dough is fine when it first comes together — the goal, in fact — but it should absorb and become easy to roll as it rests; check my pictures of each step for reference.
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond, use half of another brand, here’s why)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup plain, full- or low-fat yogurt (Greek or regular)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee (for assembly)
Layer dough: Divide dough into 8 wedges. Working with one at a time, very lightly flour your counter and roll out each into a round or oblong shape as thin as it will go — usually about 6″ in diameter. Brush thinly with 2 teaspoons butter or oil. Roll dough away from you into a thin cylinder, then wind each cylinder into a coil (it will look like a sideways snail). Place each coil of dough back on a floured spot and cover, resting for another 15 to 20 minutes; repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
Heat your oven to 300 degrees F and have a big baking sheet ready. (Flatbreads fully cook on stove, but you can keep them warm and lightly puffed in the oven.)
Cook flatbreads: Working with one coil at a time, roll into a thin round (about 5″). Brush the top with more butter, you can be a bit more generous here. Repeat with as many flatbreads as you think you can fit in your pan; leave the remaining coils continue to rest, covered.
Warm a frying pan over medium-low heat. Flip flatbread butter-side-down onto pan and cook until a deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Brush the top with more butter as it cooks on the first side, then flip and continue cooking until the same deep golden brown on the second. Transfer to baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Continue this process with the remaining coils and flatbreads.
Do ahead: These layered yogurt flatbreads keep perfectly in the fridge; I wrap mine in foil. Rewarm in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Could you freeze these after cooking?
Yes. I do these all the time. Don’t cook them through all the way. Even if you do it should be fine. Wrap them tightly and store them in a ziplock bag with as much air removed as possible. Warm it up on a griddle on the stove.
Can you cut leftovers in half and toast in toaster?
Yes
To freeze these you mention wrapping tightly – is that wrapped in cling film?
I would, yes.
OMG! I’m making these right now… And they’re incredible! How do I not eat them all (by myself)??
They’re easy and fun to make… And turning out gorgeous:))
Thank you, Deb!! ♥️
nice article
what would stop me from mixing scallions in and calling these scallion pancakes??
I would use a scallion pancake recipe with flour and water, not this. Yogurt makes a stretchier, less crisp dough. I merely used the scallion pancake method to create more layers.
Wish I had seen this comment before trying it! Adding scallions didn’t work. The flatbread just turned out dense and really heavy with w not-so-pleasant yogurt-scallion flavor. I’d like to try this flatbread again the right way (without scallions), but will have to wait for this memory to fade first. It was a truly unsuccessful experiment.
Jane, I’m thankful you tried, because I was thinking about doing the same! Deb, thank you for always being so active in the comments!
This is a lot like parathas (an Indian flatbread) If you scrunch them up slightly after frying them you release the steam on the inside and it keeps them crispy. I’ve never made the yogurt variety. I am eager to try it!
Yup, I’m Indian and my first thought reading this was, “Congratulations Deb, you invented paratha!” (No snark intended — it’s great seeing this technique and these delicious breads spread to new audiences.)
Yep these are parathas! My Indian mother in law makes them all of time and my kids love them.
That’s exactly what I thought when I read it. This is a paratha give credit where credit is due. Nice recipe though.
Could I make this with sour cream and not yogurt? I imagine the taste would be mildly fattier, but I’m not sure if it means I would need more baking powder. Thanks Deb!
I don’t think it would need more baking powder. It will probably work but I of course didn’t test it with sour cream.
Also doing with sour cream, because I accidentally picked up a tub of vanilla instead of plain greek yogurt. UGH.
I think that using vanilla yogurt might be good, then topping the flatbreads with a fruit compote…
Came here for just that question. I can’t go to the store just for Greek yogurt right now but I really need to make these!
I did and it turned out beautifully.
Thank you!
Any suggestions on dishes to eat this with?
I have leftover braised chickpeas with feta in the fridge and I think I’ll make these flatbreads to scoop them up.
https://joythebaker.com/2016/02/olive-oil-braised-chick-peas-with-feta/
I’m on my way over for lunch!
Has anyone tried making these with GF 1:1 flour? Trying desperately to find any good GF bread recipes – I miss it so much!!!!
I asked the same question :)))
have you seen Green Kitchen Stories? I am really enjoying these buns. https://greenkitchenstories.com/gluten-free-vegetable-buns-amsterdam/ I also made it as a loaf of bread and cooked in a slightly cooler oven for just over an hour. Definitely the best GF bread I’ve made.
I made these with 1:1 GF flour and they were fantastic! Used Cup for Cup
Deb,
I’d like to make these for Mother’s Day breakfast but time is an issue. Can the dough be prepared on Friday for Sunday breakfast? If not, is the reheated method as good as fresh?
Thanks for years of inspiration.
Paige
Just made a batch of these and was pleasantly surprised that they were very doable. From start to finish, including rising times was less than one hour very simple ingredients that I had on hand, and the directions were very clear and easy. I did use two skillets in the interest of time so I could make two at once. We’ll see if there’s any leftovers that we need to deal with, but I have a feeling there won’t be. Thanks for a great recipe Deb.
Lauren – that is one of my favorite dishes and I agree this flatbread would be great with it!
Made these tonight (paired with Chris Morocco’s shawarma tofu recipe) and they were SO delicious. I struggled a little bit with having them separate back into the coil shape while cooking, but that didn’t affect the taste or texture. Thank you!
I’m obsessed with Chris Morocco’s shawarma tofu! I’ve been making it with seitan; it’s delicious. Definitely going to do this pairing today!
Is is best to fry these in a cast iron pan?
I’ve put these on my to-make list for with shakshuka tomorrow!
I hope you are referring to Deb’s shakshukanwith chickpeas and kale which is the bomb! ( I add za’atar for my spice)
Just made these. They are delicious. I did a couple of substitutions, because quarantine! We have been making our own yogurt and creme fraiche as we are lucky enough to have had a dairy delivery in the “before times.” Had less than a cup of yogurt so topped it off with the creme fraiche. Used half and half white and stone ground whole wheat flour. Added to 4 of the 8 some cinnamon sugar along with the butter. All wonderful! So this recipe seems to be a somewhat flexible quarantine cooking recipe! Thanks, Deb!
I’ve made a version of this dish (adjusted for whatever I had on hand) twice during quarantine: https://cupfulofkale.com/vegan-cauliflower-and-chickpea-curry/.
Definitely recommend adding some frozen or canned peas, potatoes and/or tofu if you have any of that to throw in.
I attempted to make roti to go with it (and they tasted sort of okay, but didn’t puff up much). Will definitely be making it again with this flatbread recipe!
Yes, I suggest a few in the headnotes. But definitely also shakshuka, these baked chickpeas, this asparagus salad, a crispy egg…
While it is not traditional with this flatbread, it would taste amazing with a curry sauce like this one, used for roti paratha: https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/420805-roti-canai-malay-curry-sauce
We made it with the roast chicken with schmaltzy cabbage and it barely made it onto our plates…
Deb’s Street Cart Chicken!! My husband’s favorite meal. I am not sure if it is on the blog, it is in her second cookbook.
Thank you Deb! We are out of soft pita and can’t get our hands on yeast. My picky four year old will light up when she sees these! You are a blessing.
Can you offer a whole wheat flour version?
Just made these and they’re so delicious! We had them with a vegetarian Red curry soup. I used about 7T butter total- 4T before rolling them and 3T for cooking. We will definitely be making these often.
I made these tonight with all whole wheat flour as written and they came out great!
Can second this – made using all whole wheat flour and they’re quite good. Would probably be a little less dense/chewy with AP, but they’re still worth making if you only have whole wheat!
I bet white whole wheat would work splendidly, if you have it.
Can these be made with non-fat yogurt?
(And I’ve just discovered the joy of Bollywood movies in quarantine, so I’m excited to try something akin to the breads I hear about!)
I think so, but I only tested it with low-fat.
I’ve never tried it with yogurt in the dough, but otherwise, this is very similar to the north Indian lachha paratha (usually made with a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour) or the south Indian malabar parotta (usually made with just all purpose flour so it’s stretcher, and sometimes with an egg added in for richness). Another small difference: you usually fold the rolled out dough into long narrow pleats to get to the long cylindrical shape, before then rolling into a snail and pressing out into the flat circle again. You get even more layers that way. Also, you crush it up lightly once you finish frying, as it stays crisper that way. You should watch street vendors twisting and crafting parotta at speed — it’s a stunning process. Also, a fabulous street food option is to then stuff them with a filling, for kathi rolls. Anyway, will try the yogurt version to see how that tastes or feels different. Thanks for bringing some of the taste of home into the smitten kitchen!
Oh also, we don’t use any baking powder for paratha. But oil is put into the dough to make it softer and more pliable. Now I’m really curious to see the effect of yoghurt instead.
As someone else also added, my mum and granny make laccha porota with yogurt to tenderize it and give it a nice tang!
She also always laminates them (sort of like with puff pastry dough) and rolls them into triangles (and always tastes better that way than rolled into any other shapes)
Can I substitute yogurt with something else? I’m lactose intolerant and allergic to nuts so I can’t even do dairy-free nut yogurts. Thank you!
Can you do coconut yogurt? Otherwise, since the dairy is integral to this particular recipe, I’d make something else. Perhaps taking a scallion pancake recipe and just omitting the scallions?
Has anyone tried this with coconut yogurt? I’m thinking about giving it a go, if my grocery store has it this week :)
This was delicious! My three year old loved making “bread snails.” We ran out of plain Greek yogurt and used half Greek, half lightly sweetened maple yogurt, and no one complained about the hint of sweetness.
This is essentially a parantha! Some people make them without yogurt; my maa always used yogurt for a more tender parantha.
Could you use self-rising flour instead of the flour and baking powder and if so, how much?
Oh that’s a great question. When I “make my own” self-rising flour, I use a higher proportion of baking powder, but I also did a round of testing here with double the amount of baking powder I listed (accidentally) and it was fine. So, long story short: You might be just fine with it.
I made the Jamie Oluver version before with self-rising flour, and you need a LOT less flour. Maybe 1 -1.5 cup. It’s a different type of flour, it takes less of it to absorb all of the yogurt. I find that it still needs a bit more baking powder to get a good consistency in the finished product. I’m definitely looking forward to trying Deb’s version!!!
These look great for the yeast deprived, and would be perfect with your chicken
Curry recipe which I have made 3 times in quarantine.
Ran out of all purpose and used self rising. Like a previous comment said, you’ll need less flour in general but to me, it just mean I needed less flour for rolling. typically I need about 1/4-1/3 more flour to roll and will self-rising I only needed about a Tbsp.
Oh yes. A lovely, heart-warming, mouth-watering concoction. Love you Smitten Kitchen. That is all.
I make kefir regularly. Could I use that instead of yogurt?
I’m wondering this, as well. Perhaps yes but without the addition of the water?
Do you have a favorite scallion pancake recipe? I searched the site and didn’t find one.
Not yet!
I really like the one in the Lucky Peach’s Cookbook.
Mimi – Serious Eats and China Sichuan Food both have great scallion pancake recipes!
I’d think so — you might find that you don’t need the extra liquid.
Hi! I can report back that I made these with kefir (first I strained it through cheesecloth) and no additional water. Turned out delicious & exactly like Deb’s photos!
OMG – I had something like this at a university cafeteria in China but could never find a decent recipe from a trustworthy source. In my version (which will happen TONIGHT after work), they will have a bit of sugar in them, just like the ones in Jilin.
Would you say these roll out easily with just the short rests? Most sort of “flat breads” I have tried to roll out (naan, tortillas, etc.) really do much better if I let the dough have an over night rest in the refrigerator. If not, sometimes the dough will not roll out into the size and shape I need and it is so frustrating! I hate trying to roll out a flat bread to only see it snap back and not roll out as it should. It can even be difficult with an over night rest. Please advise.
You can definitely give it more time but I wouldn’t give it less. I’d consider these the minimums for easy rolling. That said, I don’t think they ever need more than an hour in the first rest.
Deb, after rolling out the coils and brushing them with oil or butter, do you roll them up to form coils, again? It looks like you do in the insta story…
I’m here with the same question!
Same same! Upvoting this question.
No and if so, whoops, I shared the wrong slide. I did try a couple with a double rolls but I didn’t find the layering that much more impressive, in fact, the layers were just smaller for a bit of extra work. I mean, they’re delicious, I just didn’t find it necessary and video-ed it both ways.
Thanks!! For answering, and for your years of culinary guidance & creativity. <3
These look amazing! How do you think they would work with a gluten-free flour mix?
Following!
Following as well!
I would also love to make that gf!
I have an urge to infuse the butter with garlic and sprinkle with a little parm. Anyone tried it?
Following- Wondering if a GF flour blend like Cup-4-Cup or Bob’s Red Mill will work. Fingers crossed for a positive answer!
I made these with cup4cup at the same time as I made with all purpose flour (for my partner who is GF). the GF ones were not as soft as the glutinous version but they did work out and still tasted great. They were also a bit harder to roll into coils.
Do you think I can make these with an all-purpose G.F flour? Also with salted butter, if I omit the salt?
I definitely won’t know without testing it but I do hope someone will report back if they try it.
Ooh yes, would be interested in this as well! Please report back if you end up making it :))
Can these be baked in an oven? If so, what temp and time?
Thankyou
I didn’t try it in the oven but if you do, definitely let us know. You might want higher heat to get them toasty bottom.
I tried to make this with my homemade yogurt (French style) and ended up with a wet, sticky mess. I couldn’t salvage it even with extra flour :( Wondering what I did wrong… maybe too much liquid? Will try next time without the water, or maybe using a commercial yogurt.
I think there may well be some thickening agent in commercial yoghurt which is affecting this – I posted to very similar effect below about my experience using our homemade yoghurt (total disaster!) and I now see that there are a few people who’ve had the same experience.
If you use French style yogurt I wouldn’t add ANY water at all and have 1/3 of cup of extra flour ready to add as you work it.
As to baking these, the first thing that popped in my mind was to use a pizza stone preheated to 425° or 450°.
Looks great! Option for gluten free?
Can the flatbreads be grilled instead of cooked in a pan?
I think that the even contact with a surface definitely helps get the right texture here. However, if you have yeast, I have a recipe for Grilled Yogurt Flatbreads in Smitten Kitchen Every Day. Btw, my plan for that recipe had been… these! But I was never happy with them (until I made headway with them this month, as discussed above) so I ended up using yeast.
I love your blog and recipes!
So this particular recipe is exactly the one my Indian mother taught me and her mother before that and so on. It is a very traditional paratha from the Indian sub continent. Yes, often yogurt is added. But the cigar/snail, let the dough rest portion- that is EXACTLY how millions of Indians have been making parathas for centuries.
If anyone tries with an alternative milk yogurt please come back and share your results
Yes, please!
Thank you for reminding me that I want to make scallion pancakes. We have enjoyed many of your recipes during this “inside time” and your writing always bring joy. An almost complete baked Alaska is in the freezer and the 11 year old is excited to make her second meringue.
I wonder, could be made with gf flour?
I definitely won’t know without testing it but I do hope someone will report back if they try it.
GF 1to 1 flour was a doughy mess. So sad because the recipe looks delicious!
These are exceptional and very easy to make. I made them in my cast iron pan, which was slightly temperamental but the darker (*ahem* blackened) one and the lighter (*ahem* only just cooked) one tasted just as good as the two perfectly coloured ones. We had this with some reheated home-made curry but they would be great with pretty much anything that you would normally dip bread into or have bread on the side of.
These look fantastic, just wondering if I can use whole wheat flour (since that’s all I was able to find) for the AP – would I possibly need a bit more moisture? I haven’t worked with whole wheat flour much.
Thanks, as always your recipes are my happy place & since we’ve been home with no where to go my kitchen game is on a new level.
I didn’t test it with whole wheat. It might need a little more moisture, a little more kneading.
I used whole spelt (it’s what’s on hand) and I had an extremely sticky mess, even with adding another few tablespoons of flour in and flouring liberally when I rolled. I would suggest starting out with the minimum amount of water and then adding by teaspoon to get a smooth, not sticky, dough. My sticky mess still ended up tasting like dough fried in butter and had some layers to it, so that’s no bad thing!
Saw this recipe and thought they would be perfect with dinner tonight. Followed the recipe exactly as is….those layers are fab! I did them in a cast iron pan but next time I would use a nonstick fry pan because I struggled a bit to get them cooked inside before they got super dark on the outside. That said, I think since I’ll reheat in the oven they’ll end up being perfect when I serve them bc they are just a tad underdone. I love that I always have those ingredients on hand and they came together so quickly.
In the Instagram video it looks like you roll out the snail and then snail again, is that true? Two rounds of snacking or one?
The first time they get rolled out, do you brush each one with 2 tsp butter, or is it 2 tsp butter divided between all 8? At first I thought it was the first, but based on the total quantity of butter, it’s probably the second?
Oops I might have added wrong. You’re brushing with 1 to 2t butter or oil. You’ll find you can’t actually use more because it’s not an absorbent dough.
Hi Deb – I too am confused. 1-2 tsp per each segment or 1-2 divided amongst the 8?
1 to 2 teaspoons per.
It’s cold snap here in Sydney. As there’s no yeast, can I rest dough on a marble bench or should I rest in oven that has proofing setting? Thanks
No heat required to proof it — it’s not proofed, anyway. Just rested so room temperature, whatever surface, is fine.
These were delicious. I made them to go with homemade chicken noodle soup tonight. I added a very generous amount of garlic powder to the dough, but otherwise, was spot on. The family LOVED them. Thank you!
Hi! Would these freeze well? Thanks
Can’t wait to try the snails! I use my tortilla press to make flatbreads instead of rolling them. It feels like less work.
superb! Just made them. I thought they’d be too fussy- brushing butter? rolling them out twice? Coiling them?- but they came together really quickly. They were sooooo good straight off the griddle, and I’m sure they’ll be delightful later.
Just made these for dinner and they were amazing!! You totally saved me from my dinner scramble; I made the dough and while it was resting sauteed some sausage with peppers and onions (and made a quick pan gravy/sauce). While they cooked I tossed together (hah!) an arugula salad and voila! Nobody could believe I pulled it together from our pantry so quickly (under 45 min start to finish, though I only rested the dough for 20 min). Instant classic; thank you so much for another amazing recipe. Hope you and your family stay happy and healthy :)
Just made these and they’re so delicious! We had them with a vegetarian Red curry soup. I used about 7T butter total- 4T before rolling them and 3T for cooking. We will definitely be making these often.
This was a disappointment. I had high Hope’s for it. I have many flat bread recipes that turn out real well. I wanted to try this as it looked interesting. I am a very good knowledgeable bake and cook. Followed directions to a T. They did not cook through, and had concerns about that but still decided to give it a try. Rather a disappointment.
These were incredible but do NOT put them in a 300 degree oven to stay warm and fluffy. Our delicious, almost Yorkshire pudding like flatbreads turned crispy and overdone while waiting in a 300 degree oven for the rest of dinner. And there’s no way to cook the rest of dinner while you make these. They require all your attention and all your counter space! So only make if the rest of dinner is already ready to eat.
I have never made one of your recipes so soon after publication. But what else do I have to do?? We loved these and couldn’t stop eating. I served with your lentil sausage soup and it was a perfect combination on this stormy night. As always, thank you!! for keeping us well fed and connected.
Would this work with casava or other gluten free flour? Thank you.
We tried it with GF 1 to 1 flour without success sadly.
Hey Keri, perhaps you could up the gf flour amount? Do you think it would work? I’ve made breadsticks with yogurt and gf flour before and it turned out great and wasn’t messy but it was also a completely different recipe so maybe gf just isn’t meant to be in this case…
Hello Smitten Kitchen, I was so excited when I came across the layered yogurt flatbread recipe, because it looked simple & delicious, exactly what I’ve been craving.
Alas, after two failed attempts, I’m left disappointed & frustrated: both times, the dough was much too sticky to work with at all.
I’d be grateful for any suggestions/solutions.
Thank you!
Was it still too sticky after resting and rolling? You might find that your yogurt is thinner and that you don’t need the additional water. I based my measurement on common brands but if another tablespoon of flour is needed, it’s okay to add it.
I think that the yoghurt takes a bit of time to get absorbed into the flour. I ended up with a too-wet dough because I judged the need for water while the dough was still coming together in the bowl. Next time I’ll wait until after a minute if kneading before adding water.
I had the sticky dough issue and wished I had either floured the counter for the kneading or left out the extra tablespoon of water. The dough was still pretty sticky after the first rest period, but I combatted it with the floured surface. They looked wonderful after the second rest period. I had to up the temp on the cooktop to medium as they were taking forever to brown, so the second group of breads cooked up faster. They taste wonderful. By the way, I used light tasting olive oil instead of butter.
I had the same problem so I just brushed with coconut oil and used my hands to press the pieces into a think flat circular and then used the same method when flattening the coil before putting into the pan. Worked great and is what I’ve seen Indian chefs do when making this Indian dish. This was delicious and will be a new regular!
Such a cool recipe! I hadn’t heard of adding yoghurt to this dough. If you take the yoghurt out, add a bit of oil to the dough, and add finely-chopped scallions, you get Chinese scallion pancakes :)
I made these tonight. I did not let them rest as long as directed…but they were still very good. Thanks for another winner. They remind me of Navajo bread that I have made in the past. I think I will sub this in for the Navajo bread when I make Navajo tacos in the future. :)
Hi Deb! I wanted to suggest that maybe you tweak the wording on “Brush thinly with 2 teaspoons butter or oil.” This read to me like 2 tsp gets brushed onto EACH flatbread (which made for some very wet breads on my first two roll-ups!), but I think you might have meant 2 tsp of butter spread over 8 breads? Thank you! I love your site! These were delicious!
So we attempted these with GF flour (Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1) hoping these would be fantastic. We make homemade yogurt weekly so we had everything on hand. Sadly, they were a doughy center with crispy edges. Is it the flour? Did we not roll them thin enough? Any suggestions?
I find that GF mixes don’t absorb as much water, and definitely as much butter/oil as wheat flour. So perhaps not adding as much of those would help.
Also, since the rests allow the gluten to relax, so the breads roll out w/o snapping back, I’d imagine the rest periods could be cut down when using GF mix.
Good luck!
Let’s label this what it is, Paratha, which the Indo/Pak people have been making for hundreds of years. I like your recipes. I don’t even mind you showcasing our food with your spin on it. What I don’t like is making it appear that this is a novel recipe for the world.
Deb, I really love your recipes and I’m a longtime reader, so I hope you’ll take this comment with the best intentions I write it with. This is not the first time that a recipe you’ve published is almost identical to a really traditional South Asian preparation, but with no attribution or credit to that fact in its initial publication. As a South Asian, it’s really hurtful to see a (very well-meaning, i’m sure) white, American food blogger monetize a recipe that my my mom and grandma and generations of women in my family have been making for years in this exact manner without credit or reward. This, as many, many commentators have pointed out, is a paratha. The spiral-roll out technique isn’t something you created or invented; nor is adding yogurt to the dough to give it a subtle tang and levity. They’re both techniques that generations of South Asian women have perfected and passed on for generations, but without the same platform, visibility, or credit you’ll receive for this post. You said in an earlier comment on this page that your “research” didn’t turn up any references to naan or paratha– I find that really hard to believe, given that if you google “flaky flatbead” or “layered flatbread” the first bajillion recipes that pop up are for some version of a paratha. Even a tiny bit of good-faith research would have made that clear– which I’m confident you did, in fact do. I remember a similar issue around your recipe for what you initially called a “black lentil stew” or something that is, in fact, dal makhni– and again, it wasn’t until commentators called it out that you amended your recipe title to “punjabi-style black lentils.”
One of the things I love about your cooking is how often it draws inspiration from other cuisines. All I ask is that you spend more time authentically crediting the communities you’re drawing from to create the recipes you call your own. In your own FAQ, you ask to be attributed even if the recipe you’ve shared is an adaptation of someone else’s to reflect the work you put into it. Please extend the same respect to the recipes and traditions you’re adapting as you ask for yourself.
Here here, you said it perfectly. I completely agree.
Hi Meghan — I’m sorry it has come off as disrespectful or hurtful but it could have been further from my intention. I did a tremendous amount of research on this and even spoke to a friend’s mom — she said she’d call this “yeast-free naan” and would make it if she was in a rush, but didn’t use baking powder or a spiraling technique — and didn’t come up with much. I found no breads that were all of these things at once: yeast-free, with yogurt, and baking powder, and spiraled, so I merged these things together to create my own. From the very first paragraph, I made no claim to inventing either yogurt flatbreads or spiraling breads — I merely credited scallion pancakes for the technique because I was unaware it was used elsewhere.
From the very first day of SK, I have always “shown my work” and linked to every resource I picked up information from along the way, including here — variations on yogurt flatbreads from around the world + scallion pancakes. I don’t do it for accolades (it earns the opposite, in fact); I do it because I think it makes food writing more interesting and I believe in being the kind of professional you want to see in the world. This sourcing is, I’m sorry to say, an absolute rarity in the food-writing world. Also rare — but is a founding principle here that I have never wavered from — is this: As soon as I realized I missed something, I correct it. I didn’t realize that north Indian parantha is often stuffed but that south Indian parotta might be more flaky and layered but the second I did — about 10 minutes after publishing — I added it. I hadn’t heard of roti canai and it’s my loss because now I want that too. I called a dish black lentil dal (not stew, you might be thinking of another) until I learned it was better described as pujabi-style black lentils.
I would like to never make mistakes but as that’s impossible, I hope at least be excellent at correcting them and being a good model for others: show your work, share your research, and fix things when you make a mistake.
It’s pretty clear that Deb crossed a technique she new (scallion pancakes) with a popular flatbread formula (yogurt). She made no attempt to profiteer off of any cultural heritage. She’s also very gracious when she comes across something that in fact has existed before, elsewhere. Thank you for sharing your own heritage. Some blogs (KAF and The K-n) are really the worst at wholesale copying recipes without acknowledging the process or lineage. Deb is not like them at all.
Oh sorry, I am not talking about gluten free ones. I posted in the wrong place. I went through a long phase of making gf bread before I realised that my problem is commercial yeast rather than wheat, though, so fwiw my guess is that it would be hard to make these gf because gf flour mixes are always much wetter and you wouldn’t really knead them in the same way as you do wheaten dough.
Aaaand this is really not where I meant to post that. But I think that what all of this really demonstrates is how amazing the process of cooking is. You take a technique that you used for one thing, and use it on another thing, and come up with something that is completely new to you. What you may not realise is that the dish that’s completely new to you is something that, I don’t know, grandmothers in Italy discovered 800 years ago and which has been a national staple ever since.
But then I speak as someone who spent several minutes thinking about how you could easily make enough tea for two people with one teabag if you put the teabag in a jug for two people and brewed it in there before sharing it between cups first, before realising that she’d invented the teapot, so #metoo, Deb
South Indian, and the note for this recipe definitely caught my attention as well, so I guess I’m piling on. The parathas I grew up eating (pretty similar to most of ones you’ll see under the separate wikipedia entries for parotta and paratha, lol) were twisted, but definitely didn’t have yoghurt or baking soda– they do have noticeable differences from the flatbreads you just posted. (Though the subcontinent is a big place, so YMMV). Anyway, I don’t really react to this as an issue of stealing intellectual property or something. The way the post is written currently, you mention Indian flatbreads like paratha early on, and explain that you’ve always found breads like those unsatisfying and therefore fixed them with the spiral technique. Which just makes me roll my eyes, since the distinctive thing about Indian paratha vs other Indian flatbreads is the coiled layers. It feels like right now, the post tries to both explain what’s distinctive about the recipe and hat-tip similar flatbreads from S Asia, but in the process ends up offering kind of a weird and inaccurate dis that you probably don’t mean.
I agree w you and others that you’re thoughtful about sources. I especially appreciate that when you are making something inspired by a specific food tradition, you’ll explain your distinctive process but also point to a good source for making a more traditional version of that recipe, or food from that culture more broadly– I’ve been introduced to a lot of great books that way. Honestly, I think of what you do as a gold standard for engaging with global food traditions but also directing people to the work of cooks from that culture. So thanks for getting it pretty right most of the time, even if this instance ticked me off.
When Deb said of the flatbreads she wanted to improve upon “they’re never as good as I want them to be[,]” I read it as her talking about the ones she made herself – especially since later she spoke of “my one-dimensional yogurt flatbreads[.]” So she was critiquing her own cooking, not dissing paratha or any other Indian flatbreads.
Hi SSK — I’m sorry, I thought I’d responded sooner. I agree with everything you’re saying here. Here’s why it was reading terribly: in the original post, I’d said I’ve tried these yogurt-water-flour flatbreads a few ways and they’re always bland. My a-ha moment came when using a scallion pancake technique on them. After I published it, I learned that I’d somehow, and I don’t even know how, but somehow missed that paratha are also made with this spiraling technique so I added a hasty reference in the top paragraph, not realizing that it would now sound like I was saying “paratha are yeast-free yogurt flatbreads that are … very blah” which is untrue in two ways (they’re not always yogurt and they’re never blah). And pretty rude! I’ve updated the text since. Again, I don’t know how I missed that this is how paratha (and parotta, and malawach) are also made, but I did, and, as always on this site (and in life), when I make mistakes I try to fix them ASAP. This was a particularly glaring one — I’ve been kicking myself since, my standards are higher than this — but there’s no malicious intent. I was never like “mwahaha I know these are paratha/parotta/malawach but I’ll just pretend they’re scallion pancakes” as if I’m interested in celebrating one kind of pancake and not another. Just me missing something glaring along the way, regrettably.
I completely agree with Meghan and SSK that when it comes to S Asian recipes there have been a number of notable missteps; there is often a lack of context and general knowledge. This is a problem. I think that there are two main issues here: 1. Deb, it seems as though S Asian food is not something that you are super familiar with and are still learning about (especially regional variations). 2. because you are still learning you don’t have a good base knowledge to work off so you tend to mis-attribute things, especially when it comes to regional specialisations (of things like flat breads in this case). This makes us human! As someone bought up in SE Asia I understand that I have very little grip on American regional baking for example, because I have simply not been exposed to this even though I now live in the USA this is a blind spot for me. There is an added layer of complexity here though when you as a white woman are talking about a cuisine of S Asia though because oversights because of lack of knowledge look like erasure. Yes, you have been a really great example of citing and attribution in blogging the past. This is great to see. However, in some cuisines you are not as well versed and so extra care and research needs to be done to make sure things are attributed correctly. It is simply part of the learning curve that for you the bar might seem as though it is extra high right now because of your less solid foundation when you are taking inspiration from these cuisines (such as S Asian in this case). This makes it doubly important to get your facts and history straight. There are many amazing S Asian and Indian food bloggers and instagrammers that could help you learn more about these regional cuisines and with whom you cross check. A single phone call to a friend is a step in the right direction but frankly not enough. Own the fact that this is a new cuisine for you and that your are learning; take this as an opportunity to learn about and spotlight one of the world’s greatest cuisines for your readers. There are many SAsian food writers who you could learn from and spotlight in the process (side note: I am not suggesting you ask for uncompensated labor from POC). Think of this as an amazing opportunity to grow while exploring a fabulous culture and diverse food tradition with your readers.
Deb: If you need yeast or flour, google Amish/Mennonite Bulk grocery.There are plenty upstate NY, PA, Ohio, etc. They have plenty and will cheerfully ship. Prices are fair.
What are the rules of baking and ratios when using self rising flour? It is all I could find at the store. Do I not add baking powder to the recipe?
The breads look delish!
Read this. I use 1.5 teaspoons baking powder for 1 cup flour, so it’s a bit higher here, but I think you’ll be okay.
Hello, so I’m wondering about subbing this with GF flour & non dairy yogurt? Sorry, to totally mess up your yummy looking recipe with substitutions ;)
Grazi
I can’t wait to make these, and will try them first as written. But! I’m already thinking about mashing them up with a recipe I tried for a different flaky/stretchy flatbread- M’smen (https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/msmen) recipe from the Hot Bread Kitchen cookbook – it uses part semolina. It had the delicate chewiness I always associated with roti canai, and used a folding approach to get the lamination. Just in case you have some semolina kicking around….
I made these for breakfast this morning sprinkled with cinnamon sugar inside (before rolling into a cigar) and the kids were quite pleased. Now I want some Indian food so I can make a savory batch.
What fantastic timing! I started playing with yogurt flatbreads last week but had the same experience you did. I was determined to get it right so bought all fresh ingredients yesterday. Really looking forward to trying this version. I suspect it is just what I’ve been looking for. 😃
I am, very sadly, out of all-purpose flour; and I can’t find any in stock anywhere. I still have a bag of cake flour, purchased for a special occasion cake. Any chance these would work with it?
Hi Jan, I recently read (on KAF maybe?) that 1 cup + 3 tablespoons cake flour can be substituted for 1 cup all purpose flour. I have not tried this myself.
Would you please share the style and source of the beautiful towel that’s covering the dough?
I get most of my linens from Fog Linen. And also, since this is the time we are in, currently a couple face masks. (I ordered them on Monday and they arrived yesterday — amazing.)
All I have in the quarantined house is zero fat yogurt. Will that work in this recipe?
I have made these but I used one cup of flour to one cup yogurt. Period. I did not tell hubby they were made with yogurt. Yummy! There was nothing left over! :)
Alison :)
These turned out great. Main changes I made: I used twice as much butter total (2 tsp for each flatbread before rolling out but used a lot more on the pan) and before putting them in the pan, I rolled them out to 6 inches rather than 5 inches. We ate them with homemade raspberry jam and they were delicious!
I was wondering if you could use self-rising flour instead of all purpose. I’m guessing you would leave out the baking powder?
I didn’t test it with it but I do think it might work here — and yes, don’t use the baking powder.
How would this work with nonfat yogurt?
I understand the rolling/folding/snailing is to make layers which produce fluffiness, but what about just making them into a flatbread and cooking it without the snailing? (I love making that into a verb!) Sometimes I’m just lazy … I think I’;; give it a try. No snailing in KAF’s pillowy flatbread recipe.
For more of a paratha structure, you can cut a slit into the circle of dough (as if you were cutting along the radius) after its rolled out, then wrap up into a cone shape, turn it so it’s standing like a birthday hat and smush down into a circle before rolling out again! the layers get super flaky and pretty that way!
Could I sub buttermilk or plain milk (and eliminate the water) for the yogurt? trying to avoid the store until I really need to go.
I made these tonight! They were eaten with a lentil-sweet potato-chipotle stew. I don’t think they puffed up like the breads in the photos, but it’s hard to judge (will there be a video on Instagram? That might help!). I’m also not sure if the layering happened the same way, but I had a two-year-old kitchen assistant for that phase of the prep so my technique may have been a little off. (But he loved helping make the “snails”!) Regardless, everybody loved them. Bread fried in oil – what’s not to love?? Thanks, Deb!
Lack of yeast………that’s the least of my problems, I can’t even get flour!
They do look good though!
I made these with sour cream and ghee and they turned out amazing!
Long time follower/cooker, first time commenter. These were PHENOMENAL. Surprisingly easy and rivaled the most delicious flatbreads I’ve ever had at any Indian or Thai or any other place. TY!!
This paired perfectly with the chickpea and kale shakshuka for dinner tonight! I may try a mix of wheat flour next time so I feel more “healthy” devouring them!
Oh wow!! We just tried these and the texture was perfect! So beautifully flaky, just like the roti canai from our local restaurant. The rolling technique is one we will definitely be using again!
Amazing recipe!!! I used eno instead of baking powder, replaced a third of the plain flour with chapati flour and ghee to grease. They came out like a cross between a paratha and a flat croissant. Flaky, soft and a little crispy on the edges. Offered to Krsna as part of Bhakti Yoga, and literally an amazing result! Thanks for the recipe!!! :)
A friend saw these yesterday on your site and shyly requested any in our text group to attempt to make them. I took her up on the offer, because I had never used yogurt in any baking techniques. So voilá I made them. Very tasty. Will try them again today! Thanks for sharing!
A friend saw these yesterday on your site and shyly requested any in our text group to attempt to make them. I took her up on the offer, because I had never used yogurt in any baking techniques. So voilá I made them. Very tasty. Will try them again today! Thanks for sharing!
The night before this post came out, I had just made Jamie Oliver’s easy flatbread recipe to go with the chana masala I was making. I will be sure to try your recipe next. Deb, your recipes always come out perfectly. I visit your site often, make some recipes over and over, and love your cookbooks. Thanks for this!
Wait! I was hopping for the scallions. I have tons this year. I’ll definitely try these with scallions.
I wonder if you could add a little bit of cooked mashed potatoes before rolling up the final time. Have you tried putting anything in them?
Made these this morning and have advice: DON’T omit or shorten the standing time for the coils; DO roll them nice and thin. I failed on both counts with my first few and they were doughy and not sufficiently layered, but the set that sat ten minutes longer and got rolled thinner came out very well. I added a little buckwheat flour for the taste, I wil say that while they’re quick compared to a risen yeast bread, with the two standing periods they took more time than I had at first airily imagined, so add DO read the instructions *including the preparation time* unless you too want to be surprised.
Because there were so many Qs about using gluten free mix in place of flour, I did a little experiment.
First I made a 1/4 batch using flour to see how they turned out in my hands. (I have not had much luck with parathas etc.) I used oil, not butter. They were the best I’ve made to date. (They would have been even better if I had not splashed in a touch too much water.)
Then I repeated with KAF’s measure-for-measure GF mix, being more careful with the water. The dough was much more like playdough, as Deb describes, but I did not get lovely layers. The taste was ok, the edges were crisp, and I tasted the sour from the yogurt more than in the wheat-flour batch.
I patted out, rather than rolled (both batches). I patted out the GF ones on parchment b/c it tended to break up when I lifted it. I did the final shaping & oiling, then flipped off of the parchment onto the heated griddle.
Oh no, I misread the ingredients and accidentally put twice the amount of flour… I therefore HAD TO make twice as many of those delicious flatbreads !
They were absolutely delicious with falafels, garlic-yogurt, scallions and lightly pickled radish !!!
Thanks so much for the recipe :)
Just made these and they turned out so good. They were fairly simple to put together as well. Served them with saag paneer 😅
made these this afternoon and so lovely! thank you for sharing your hard earned recipe!
I made these at 2:00 on a rainy Portland Saturday afternoon and by 3:00, my family of 3 had already eaten 3 of them with jam. Ahhh, delicious! I wish I could add my photo of the remaining 5! They look just like yours! Thanks, Deb!
That rolling technique is very similar to Moroccan miliwi and fat bread! Both are delish! I’m excited to see the technique again as I had sadly not thought of it for awhile. Thank you! :D
I just made these to go with a coconut curry for dinner. Realized belatedly that there was not a full cup of yogurt left in the container, so I filled in the difference with heavy cream. Still turned out delicious!
Just amazing! I made them tonight and they were wonderful! We had them with homemade hummus and baked kibbeh and they were just perfect!!
Thanks for this recipe, it was great. Mine didn’t really rise much, or at all. I was wondering why and just tested my baking powder and it does fizz (even though being expired for 2 years).
I think the issue may have been that I mixed it using a stand mixer and left it running for a while. Since we added water in the beginning, I wonder if I could have just used up all the fizz.
Made these this weekend for instant pot butter chicken and wow, the dough is a dream to work with. Whether it’s the butter or the second rest after you’ve rolled them up, the dough is so easy to roll out (no sticking to the pin) and handle.
I’d say go ahead and roll them a bit wider and thinner if you like your flatbreads more bubbly and naan-like, but even the slightly thicker ones I made were amazing. Agreed with Deb that these are a much better version of similar 3-ingredient flatbreads I’ve made before.
Made these yesterday- YUM!
Had 4 leftover which (inspired by a breakfast when travelling in Morocco) we warmed them up, and had them with honey, yogurt, and mint tea.
It went down so well I’m making another batch and freezing them raw to cook at a later date!
Great! My only suggestion would be to have two cast iron skillets going so you’d an do two at a time. I ended up needing more melted butter to coat both sides of 8 breads.
Great with a chickpea curry and Indian style spinach.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Finally a recipe where the brand of and type of salt is specified. Otherwise it really is guesswork.
I froze the extras raw on a cookie sheet on parchment. Once frozen, I interleaved them with parchment in a zip top bag They cooked beautifully straight from the freezer.
If you have some chives, use them here. So tasty.
I assume you rolled them out before freezing but just wanted to make sure that is a good assumption :-). Thanks!
I’ve made these twice so far. First time was perfect. So good! The second time I added too much water when kneading, which made the dough too sticky and hard to work with, so you definitely want the dough on the drier side. I used olive oil both times and really liked it. Pro tip: if you have an electric griddle, it is perfect for this. I’m able to cook 3 or 4 at a time.
PS. These were perfect with a smear of greek yogurt, lettuce, cucumber, and falafel. Folded in half like a taco. Highly recommend.
Made it for the bottom of my Mexican chicken. Soooo easy and good.
These came out as promised. All Deb’s recipes work well! However, I didn’t think they were worth the effort — rolling out twice etc.
These are so delicious! We had them with hummus and I just love them. They are bit too crispy to use as a wrap type bread. They did take a bit longer than I was expecting but so worth it. We will be making them again really soon!
Just chiming in to say I made these and they were TOTALLY as good as you described, Deb! I didn’t have enough Greek yogurt but then remembered I had a bunch of leftover yogurt sauce from this garlic curry chicken thigh dish (https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/garlic-curry-chicken-thighs-with-yogurt-sauce-56389736 ) which features a yogurt sauce with chicken fat pan drippings mixed in. So now I have flatbreads infused with garlic curry chicken flavor! Truly the best!
These were delicious. Thank you Deb!
Fabulous! Made last night to serve with a dhal dish. A good stand-in for paratha and definitely welcome in these yeast-starved times!
Would coconut yogurt work okay?
Wowweee zoweee you’re timing is impeccable. I just bought a hunk of paneer and spinach and thought I should seek out a flat bread recipe to compliment the upcoming palak paneer. No searching required! You had me covered.
I made this with a bunch of minced garlic, oregano, and basil. It was too good and completely overshadowed the palak paneer. Plus making dough snails was the peak of quarantine entertainment.
My son and I made these together to rave reviews!! At the time, I only had whole wheat and a small amount of spelt flour (no AP or 00 to be had, though I have since found some). We were both so anxious to try them that we pressed ahead with what was available (my motto anyway) and my son likened them to paratha but better. Going to make them again with AP to see what we like better….in the name of culinary science of course🤤😊😋
I used 200 gms of 00 and 60 mg of semolina. Forgot to laminate which I think is a key step, but I still loved the flavor and texture. Will definitely make again!
My 13yo daughter has just gone vegan–so we are learning a lot of new recipes. Do you think non-dairy yogurt could work in these? We have tried coconut, soy, cashew, and almond-based yogurts . . . . I’m guessing it’s the fermentation (& fat?) in the yogurt that helps make the “puff” and the layers–thanks in advance for any advice you might have!
I’d like to know as well! I’m not vegan but I’ve ended up with a tub of almond yogurt that I’m not particularly fond of. I’d rather not waste it though if I can help it
These turned out absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe precisely and was very pleased with the outcome.
These were really good! We had them with your baked eggs with mushrooms and *greens (I typically use kale instead of spinach).
I only needed 3-4 minutes per side, and I only used about 1.5 tsp of butter per flatbread total (including brushing with butter before and during cooking). 2 tsp during the initial roll wouldn’t have worked for me – even with about .5 tsp it was a bit drippy and slid around while I tried to roll it up.
I also found that when I placed the first few in a 300 degree oven, they continued to cook and lost a bit of the soft-yet-crisp texture. I reduced my oven to it’s “warm” setting, which is more like 150 and found that that kept them better without getting overbaked.
Also just want to mention – for me the spiral method recalls Kenyan/East African chapati. Typically unleavened and with only flour, fat, salt, and water (although the recipe I was taught contained an egg as well), they are also formed in a spiral manner to create flaky layers. They are an import to East Africa brought by Indian immigrants who originally came during the colonial era – I don’t know exactly how similar they are to other Indian flatbread techniques or how much they’ve evolved in their new setting over time, but they are now widely made and eaten throughout Kenya, regardless of heritage.
Yes! I 2nd lowering the temp. In the 300 degree oven my first ones were way overcooked by the time I was done cooking the rest.
Absolutely lower the oven temperature! I only went to 250 because I know my oven is a little hot. The first two went straight onto plates, but then I started putting the bread in the oven. The ones we ate right away were amazing. The ones that were in the oven were nearly ruined. Still a good flavour but they became completely crispy and crunchy, no moisture. None of the slightly soft, foldable texture I wanted for scooping. I’ll make them again and use just the warming setting.
Also used one cast iron and one non stick pan. Cast iron gave the best golden glow, hands down, but I had to let the pan heat up fully and kept the temperature lower than recommended.
Hey Miss Deb!
Longtime fan first-time posting. I’m newly sadly gluten-free, any thoughts on making these beauties GF? hugs to you and my long-lost-lover nyc.
These were phenomenal- I used my tortilla press to make quick work of the rolling out steps!
This recipe remindS me very much of m’smen, a flaky, buttery bread I found at a street market in Morocco. I have never been able to find anything similar in the states, but this was very close and brought back lovely travel memories.
Thank you, Deb!
YES. I was thinking the same thing the very second I saw them. <3
I made these last night using olive oil and they were ridiculously delicious! Thanks for the great recipe and clear instructions. Do you think they would work just as well with all white whole wheat flour?
I made these yesterday as written. Delicious, quick and easy. Great to have on hand for “work from home lunches”. I will be using the rest of the plain yogurt for Deb’s waffles from this month’s Bon Appetit :)
Hi Deb – I just made this for dinner tonight, with the chickpea recipe for topping, and it is all delicious! Thank you, as always. I made it as written, no substitutes, and it is perfect. Thanks as always – Hope you are having a good day – Donna
just made these and they came out pretty good! i used some weird kind of liquid-y bulgarian yogurt, which is what we had, and i needed to add extra flour just so i could handle the dough; next time i’ll use greek yogurt or whatever. probably gonna throw some garlic in the butter, as well. family loved them, so that’s what really matters.
the perfect quarantine recipe HAS ARRIVED! Thank you, Deb! These were super easy and because scallion pancakes have been having such a moment, now the technique is more familiar to me so I wasn’t nervous about the rolling and coiling. I used olive oil and these came out so delicious. Going to combine them with Greek salad ingredients and tzatziki and make a little vegetarian gyro moment :)
YUM! Even my picture turned out perfectly. My husband’s comment was ‘amazing!’.
Mmm just made and ate these! We made them and used them as holders for hummus, falafel, cucumber/tomato salad, tahini sauce and peppracini! They were really easy and fun to make, just keep flouring you’re rolling pin if you get sticking like I did.
Great recipe!
Hi Deb, I’m wondering whether you used 2 measured cups of flour or 260 grams. I originally tried 260 grams and the dough was so sticky that it was unworkable. I added only 2 Tbs of water because it was so gooey. I ended up adding probably at least another half cup (or more) of flour on the countertop before it started to hold together and resemble your photo. I’ve seen a measured cup of flour weigh in at 150-160 grams, so I think 260 is not enough for this recipe. Once I got the dough to behave though, the flatbreads turned out great! Thanks for the recipe. Just wanted to add an observation.
Mine were also way too liquidy! Did you measure the yogurt using a liquid or dry measure? i used homemade yogurt and ended up adding at least a 3/4 cup of flour (maybe more) in order to get the dough to be workable.
Same issue exactly! I wondered whether US yoghurt might be whipped or contain thickeners etc that changed the ratios? My homemade yoghurt is basically just culture and milk (with a bit of extra milk powder to make it super thick and creamy). As written, that results in a nearly 100% hydration dough – way too wet to ever roll out and laminate, no matter how long it rested. Perhaps a weight measurement for the yoghurt would help? I’ve made a million flatbreads of all kinds, and this was a sticky disaster.
Ah, I had not assumed anyone would be using homemade yogurt, which is much thinner. I didn’t test with homemade, I don’t make it (my loss, I know), but I would not add any extra water, and yes, add more flour as needed to get a soft dough.
Thanks very much Deb! If I’d been paying proper attention, I would have noticed the texture and omitted the water entirely – I was foolishly trying out a recipe for the first time while making last minute dinner with four screaming kids … not a sensible plan! It hadn’t occurred to me that our yoghurt would be thinner, as it’s ridiculously thick and dollopy usually because of the added milk powder. But it does behave like pot set yoghurt generally, in that it gets much thinner when stirred.
I did — it’s fine if it’s sticky at first, but it should set up as it hydrates into a nice dough.
I had the same problem. I’m curious if you used regular or greek yogurt? I used regular yogurt, which (having done a number of brand comparisions) seems to have more protein content variability than greek yogurts.
Parottas are a feature of my childhood. They are originally from Kerala and you can see a lot of YouTube videos on how to make them. We used to eat them with egg roast (a shakahuka type dish, chicken etc). It is delicious!
what do you think about using whole wheat flour for this flatbread recipe?
This looks so good! Do you think you could use sour cream instead of yogurt in a pinch?
These are fantastic! Similar to the frozen parathas at Trader Joe’s, but WAY better. They are fluffy and flakey – and pretty easy too. We cooked them on a griddle, and served with a black lentil curry.
i’ve made this twice now. amazing each time, a very forgiving recipe!! i did it with too much yogurt the first time (didn’t matter, was still amazing) and the second time i made it with half yogurt/half sour cream (ran out of yogurt, probably from the first time hehe) & ghee. such a keeper.
My husband and son were literally fighting over the last flatbread. My husband said I need to double the recipe next time!! Btw they split the last one. Thank you!! Stay safe and well!
We made these with your kale shashuka and they were so very delicious. Definitely one to make again.
This is a great recipe, thanks for sharing! Just made these and they were fun to make, tasted great, and the leftovers re-warmed in the oven were just as good as day 1! Thanks Deb :)
I made these with Greek yogurt (2%) and subbed wheat for about 1/3 of the flour. While I was doing the first butter step, my melted butter got really goopy (I thought it just cooled too much, so I put it back on the stove and then realized that there was some flour in it now that the heat was thickening it even more) and it was difficult to use. I ended up using all all 4 tbs for that part. While I was rolling them into little snails, they felt so dry that I was sure the next part wouldn’t work. But it did! They cooked up really nicely too (with another 3 tbs of butter). This recipe feels very forgiving; I got frustrated a few times and was confident I had messed something up, but they still turned out great. I will definitely make these again, perhaps with some spice/herb additions, and maybe go 50% on the wheat flour too. Thanks, as always, Deb!
Wow those look interesting. I’m going to share those on FB!! I have a couple friends who will be interested in these. I may try them w almond milk…. yum!!
Made these & they were a delight! I was cautious because normally working with sticky doughs is not my favorite pasttime but they weren’t as finicky as I would’ve thought and they were savory, crispy and craveable. I cooked them in & brushed them with ghee which I would 100% recommend.
I just made these with Foragers plain cashewgurt and olive oil and they are AMAZING. I kept adding bits of flour along the way when it was overly sticky.
I made these today with home made yoghurt, and I didn’t need any of the water to get the dough workable enough, so I left it out.
My family loved them, they do indeed very much resemble paratha.
However, despite the liberal use of oil and butter they aren’t greasy at all to eat.
I will definitely make these again although being in lockdown definitely helped me find the time…. I used two frying pans to make the cooking process a bit faster.
these were so easy and came out AMAZING – chewy, goldeny brown perfection. ours only needed 4 min each side. topped with goat cheese + honey and labneh + zaatar!
yum! highly recommend. tangy, flaky, quick and so delicious.
Made these successfully with 100% white whole wheat flour. Super delicious even on their own as a snack! I think next time I will experiment adding different spices. Thanks, Deb!
Just thought I’d share that I had some good success converting this recipe into a pizza dough. I cut the dough into 4 sections instead of 8, and continued with the recipe to roll them out then, apply butter, and roll them back up. But I took all four rolls together to make one giant spiral, which I let rest. I rolled out the entire spiral to make one large 16″ pizza dough and cooked it 500 degrees on a pizza steel in the oven. It took about 7 minutes total.
Thanks for the recipe!
I made these tonight, and while the taste was good they turned out rather gummy/flat, not nicely puffed like in your pictures. I’m not sure where I went wrong, any tips for troubleshooting? Thank you!
Mine were a little gummy too — I seem to always have this problem when making breads on a skillet (these, pita, english muffins…)! Would love some suggestions too.
These were delicious! I used half while wheat and half AP, since I’m running low on AP. Very good!
Not to be overly literal or dumb, but when you say a cup of yogurt do you mean a standard 8 oz cup or just the standard cup of yogurt one purchases at the store? I believe the latter is generally 6 oz. Thanks!
Made these tonight with sour cream instead of yogurt. They are the flatbreads of my dreams. Can’t believe I made them! Amazing!
These flatbreads are delicious! I made them tonight and it was hard to refrain from eating them all as they were made. They were easy to make which is an added bonus.
Your recipes are always so well written and always turn out well. Thank you!
I love all of your recipes! Is there a way to get a printable version of them that I don’t know about? Thank you so much!
Made these (subbed in cashew yogurt and coconut oil) yesterday. They were soo delicious. I bet you could freeze them uncooked individually and cook them later.
Planning on trying maybe an olive tapenade in some. Maybe some cinnamon sugar ones. Endless ideas!
I made these for dinner and had them with the nytimes chickpea, coconut and turmeric stew. They turned out really well! Even better, after my impatience got the better of me and I stopped frying flatbreads after the fourth, I put the other four “snails” in an airtight container in the fridge. I’m rolling them out and frying them now on day #2, and I think they’re just about as tasty today as yesterday! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
We’re running low on all purpose flour in this part of the world– could we substitute for other types of flour, like rice flour, almond flour or garbanzo bean flour?
These look delicious!! Would eliminating the salt be ok? My baby loves rotis (indian flatbread) and these look even better but he can’t have added salt yet. Thanks !!!
These were super tasty! I have one question though, after cooking them individually in the pan, I transferred them to the oven set at 300 degrees. By the end of cooking the last one on the stove, the first ones that were in the oven seemed a bit dried out. Any advice to keep them from drying out in the oven?
Will these freeze well?
Never mind, I saw your answer up the page. Thank you! These are great! Made them to go with red lentil stew.
I’d expect them to
Amazingly delicious! Brush with butter and cooked in cast iron pan, omg! Even leftovers were great reheated wrapped in foil the next day, including the one that got a little too crisp because it sat in the oven warming a but too long. Thank you for the recipe that is now on steady rotation.
made them today. Mixed feelings. Like the tangy flavor of yogurt. The dough is nice to work with and perfect for baking with kids. However, they were definitely undercooked inside. We rolled them fairly thin. Maybe should have gone thinner but after cooking they looked exactly like Deb’s picture, the same height. Anyway, they taste nice while hot off the skillet but the chewy middle is not very appealing when cold. Not sure will repeat. Unless the kids ask for it.
For someone who hates baking, this was an easy to follow, no fail recipe. I followed the steps exactly and measurements as well, except with the amount of oil/butter to oil the breads as I did not bother measuring. I just brushed them until they look oiled enough. I rested the dough for an hour the first rest just because I was busy doing something else. Made these two days in a row and served with souvlaki and tzatziki and the kids loved it. Out of the 16 I made I only ate one as everyone fought over them. Delicious and good recipe, but I will say that as someone who hates baking I did not enjoy the process of measuring dough, kneading, coiling, rolling etc. I found it super tedious. Having said that, the recipe is a great one and it works, so thank you Deb!
These little disks of fried dough are delicious! I used butter and just ate them straight out of the pan. I had lofty plans of freezing them for later in the week when I am going to make curry, but husband and I ate half of them as dinner and half as breakfast the next day. I do have a suggestion though: It’d be helpful if the measurements were given in weight as well as volume. Also, I live abroad and I think yougurt here is a little bit thinner and so I had to add 3/4 cup of extra flour in order to be able to roll the dough into a ball. So it’d be nice if the recipe could describe what texture we are going for in each step. It was either that or the fact that cups here are roughly 250ml and maybe American cups are smaller?
My dough was really sticky. I had to do more than lightly flour…I floured the top and bottom of the dough, the rolling pin, my hands and my Silpat (the latter numerous times). That said, the flat breads were fabulous. Another terrific no-fail recipe.
I assume you use brush the 2 tsp of oil/butter on all of the dough pancakes, not 2 tsp/piece of dough
I use these with full fat Greek yogurt for lamb gozleme – spiced lamb, tomatoes and feta. Really delicious!
I see below that you don’t recommend this recipe for scallion pancakes, but I made half of them with scallions rolled in, and they were great. I have had zero success with other scallion pancake recipes, so I was happy to finally have something work out! Just don’t expect them to be authentic Chinese style scallion pancakes, right?!
I wonder why mine came out super tough? They were delicious but not pillowy. I kept them in a 200 degree oven while I cooked, and I feel like that dried them out. I’m trying again now, and instead I will keep them warm in the tortilla warmer (actually a Dutch oven, has many purposes) with a clean dishcloth, so they’ll steam a bit, like I do with tortillas and other flatbreads.
In the spirit of ‘ach, they’ll turn out good enough’ when I needed bread right now to go with leftover curry, I did not rest these at all. I made a half batch and sprayed them with cooking spray for even more quickness for the layering, making up for it with a generous buttering before the skillet. They were perfect and flaky and crispy and layered and amazing, thank you so much!
Ack! My dough is not smooth at all. It is very sticky. I tried adding more flour but it’s still too sticky…
I had the same problem – had to add extra flour and knead longer to make it work. I’m curious if you used regular or greek yogurt? I used regular yogurt, which seems to have more protein (and thus liquid) content variability than greek yogurts. I wonder if all of us with sticky doughs are using thinner yogurt…
My perfect breakfast (with spicy scrambled eggs) and a cup of homemade chai.
I was out of yogurt so tried using ricotta, and they were delicious! Love all your recipes – perfect blend of accessibility, comfort and deliciousness.
Thanks so much Deb for this flatbread recipe.
I made them yesterday and warmed them up for dinner, delicious!
I served them with a prepackaged Indian madras lentils-my bad but that’s how it has to be some days.
Thanks again.
These were amazing!! Easy and tasty. I made them the night before and reheated in the toaster. I halved the recipe and used 90 g AP flour+ 40 g whole wheat flour. I used Chobani 2% Greek yogurt and needed a few extra drops of water due to the whole wheat flour. The flatbreads had a nice tart flavor from the yogurt.
Sorry, deb, I really like your website, but this is very similar to a paratha. Given everything going on, it would be great to just call it a variation on that. You have a great vantage point to help us see what’s all around the world.
These were just amazing…. made these for dinner.. they were perfectly flaky and soft. Yum. I have tried so many “parotta” (indian flatbread with same origins as this flatbread) recipes received from so many people who make parotta regularly however it was yours that will be the one that gets made from now on in my house. Thank you so much.
Given the variability of the two main ingredients (all-purpose flour brands vary in gluten content, and non-Greek yogurts vary somewhat in protein content and thus liquid content), I think it would be helpful for the recipe to recommend that *all* water be added on an as-needed basis. I made these with King Arthur All-Purpose flour (by weight) and Dannon whole milk plain regular yogurt (by volume), and followed the recipe in adding 2Tb of water at the start. The only thing I did differently was to mix everything with my hands from the start. My dough came out incredibly sticky, like drop-biscuit dough more than bread dough, and I wound up adding about another 1/4c flour to get the dough to the point of being smooth after kneading, and even then it was a touch more sticky than tacky.
That being said, these were delicious and we shall be making them again!
Agreed! I just made these with a different store-bought whole-fat yogurt (not greek) and I added the minimum recommended amount of water, and the dough was SO wet. Couldn’t do anything approaching kneading until I added a lot more flour… next time I will try not adding ANY water to start, and then only a little if it really won’t come together. (but the finished product was super delicious so there will def be a next time!)
Would you call focaccia bread by any other name? Why not call a paratha a paratha? Why layered yoghurt flatbread? This is how generations of Asians have been making parathas.
What I ran into was that there are so many breads made with this spiraling technique for layers, and none were exactly this. Paratha is a very popular category, but so are scallion pancakes (obviously without the scallion here), roti canai, malawach. And none of them use yogurt all of the time (please correct me if I’m wrong); most are just flour-water bases. So, this name fit all of the above (a yogurt-centric dough + spiraling for layers) and the post references all of the different kinds of breads that share this technique; I’m adding more as I learn more.
This is my first time making bread of really any kind besides in a bread maker. When I combined ingredients and them removed the dough from the bowl the dough became extremely sticky and was almost impossible to roll into a small ball. What am I doing wrong here?
Might your yogurt have been on the thin side?
I made these and they came out great, but 300F is far too hot – by the time I cooked them all, the first ones, which had stayed in the oven the longest, were totally overcooked. Still tasty but completely brown.
I would also suggest wiping the pan clean between pancakes.
What a brilliant recipe Deb! Really enjoyed making these and eating with our chicken curry…they were delicious and turned out great! This recipe will be a permanent when curry is on the menu! 😁
These were so tasty and easy. Next time I’ll try to bring it together without the water, as even a tablespoon pushed it over on a half batch. And the thinner I rolled them out before cooking, the better they were!
My husband and I took an Uzbek cooking class in Brooklyn a few years ago and learned a similar rolling technique to make pumpkin sambusas. I can’t wait to try this!
Hi! I’ve made this several times and it’s been excellent each time! Our yogurt stock is increasingly precious (limiting grocery runs due to the pandemic) so I halved the baking powder and subbed in sourdough discard for 1/2 cup of the yogurt. Worked really well! No perceptible difference in texture plus I got to feel very resourceful;)
Made these again but with soured milk instead of yogurt – so delicious and a good way to reduce waste! I ate the first one before the second was finished cooking…
Wow! Loved to see this post. I am from India and this type of bread is called Lachha parantha here. :) Lachha means entangled in a way. After rolling you can again ‘make’ it in a snail and flatten it again to have more layers. Yougurt gives it a bit of sour taste but basically it is for tenderness.
And I regularly make both kinds (with and without snails).
Instead of scallions, you can add some herbs, chopped basil leaves, fennel flower or black seed etc.
And in the plain variety naan you can put cottage cheese and some chopped coriander leaves in the center before flattening it. Gives a yummy taste. :)
Like some of the other commenters I also had a sticky dough, next time I would skip the extra tablespoon of water. I added extra flour while kneeling and it turned out fine. These were delicious, but had more chew than I think of naan having, more like paratha. I think they may have been a bit more tender if I had worked the dough less while trying to get the right hydration. I would also like to try on my plug in griddle (when I have the counter space) or do it in two pans to make it faster. Can’t wait to try again!
If I’m making these ahead of time do I make & then reheat or wrap, store in fridge & then bake?
I meant to say if you’re wanting g to make them ahead of time do you bake them before wrapping in foil & refrigerating or do you store before cooking & bake as needed?
I made these last night to eat with Lula kebabs….fantastic!
uh, 5 min per side, with 8 flatbreads, is 80 minutes alone just for the stove cooking, not including making the dough and resting for 30 minutes. Not sure how on earth this could be made beginning to end in 90 minutes. please update estimated time!
Oh my goodness these look absolutely delicious! I’ve been looking for a good flatbread recipe – definitely going to give them a try tomorrow!
These are a bit time consuming but totally worth it! Enjoyed them tonite with chicken souvlaki! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!!
Ahhh these bring me right back to South Asia! Hope to try this out soon.
I am admittedly very sloppy with these kinds of dough (pizza, pie crust, pastry) and I swear I just don’t have the knack for it, but I keep making them anyway. I want to try this recipe again, but I think I am missing something. I used coconut oil and it was a mess. It got on the board and rolling pin and so when I added more flour, it just ended up getting stuck on everything meaning I had to add more flour, a LOT more flour. What am I doing wrong? The result was tasty, but not as fluffy. Plus, I felt like I seriously upped the calorie count per piece with using so much oil. Any ideas?
Delicious. Perfect. Halved recipe and used olive oil (though I really wanted butter!). Used full fat Greek yogurt and ended up needing some extra flour to keep dough manageable.
Sprinkled some extra kosher salt on top when on side was cooking, but my kid said it was too salty. Worked for me!
Ate with hummus, though mostly just ate standing at stove cooking the next one.
I make them weekly now so thank you for this recipe.
A few things I’ve learned:
– Only add water if you need it after you’ve kneaded the dough for a while. I get my yogurt from Trader Joe’s and don’t need water at all. I put water the first time and had to add almost a whole cup of flour to recover that sticky mess. I actually still need about another 1/4 cup of flour when rolling.
– Only one tsp of salt is okay.
– like a few comments said, crumpling after they cook keeps the edges/layers crispy
I used Ronnybrook Creamline yogurt, which is very thin compared to many commercial yogurts. After the first mix, the dough was sticky and blobby and I had low expectations. But, following other commenters’ advice, I rolled out using on a heavily floured surface and worked in a bunch more flour, and they turned out great! Which is to say– recipe is pretty flexible and adaptable, but maybe start with a small amount of water if you have a looser yogurt
Oh wow, these were good! They came together very easily, even though they were sticky ( just added a bit more flour as I worked the dough). Served them with another of your recipes, the crispy chickpeas with zucchini and garlic yogurt. Yum!
My flatbreads never puffed but they were still very good.
Unfortunately I just couldn’t get this right. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour and did not add the extra water. The dough came together nice but after cooking the inside was gummy. The flavor was good, but I will not be making again due to the texture.
These are so good! I made and added scallions and sharp white cheddar cheese. Perfect delicious savory snack.
Deb, what am I doing wrong? Have made these twice—delicious—but the dough is so sticky I can hardly work with it.
I used oil and my hands to flatten for this reason and I thought that turned out very well.
Thanks! I’ll try it
In the spirit of helping others not to get as stressed and mess up their kitchen as much as I did:
Yes, I read the comments the first time I saw this recipe, but when I started yesterday making these for dinner at 8.45 pm I had completely forgotten about the sticky dough issue. Deb, I love your recipes and I am sure this one is delicious when done right, but perhaps a warning should be added at the beginning about the flour/water proportion. Maybe a red little star or something to remind people to reread the comments before starting.
– My dough was way too sticky and one tablespoon of flour did nothing. I was afraid to add too much so I added a little more every step of the way and made a huge mess. As a result my sticky cylinders were too thick and I got no layering or puffiness.
– The oven should not be that hot or they become too crispy.
– I agree 90 mn is not a good estimate. Even in your pan they cook one at a time so that alone is 80 minutes.
Made this tonight, went as well as promised. Husband loved it!!!
Whatever these are, I loved finding this recipe on Deb’s blog, I loved making them, and my family and guest and I absolutely loved eating them. They were unusually tangy and flavorful, and the butter gave them an extra dimension of richness which made them even more of a treat than homemade naan or pita or pizza dough. We called them parathas, and my daughter, who likes but has not tried a wide variety of South Asian foods, added another dish to her palate. I appreciate the discussion of these breads’ origins, and as a white cook with catholic tastes, I also appreciate that Deb (to whose blog I subscribe) brought this recipe to my attention, as I might not have had the opportunity to enjoy it otherwise, as I don’t happen to subscribe to any South Asian cooking blogs, and I wasn’t specifically seeking out a paratha recipe. If I had been doing so, I wouldn’t have gone to Smitten Kitchen, and I’m sure I’d have enjoyed equally delicious breads. Next time I want parathas, I will probably try a more “authentic” recipe, simply for comparison’s sake. And as a white home cook without a background in South Asian cooking, I won’t actually know which recipe is more “authentic” in flavor. But I fear we start to tread dangerously close to the red flags of cultural appropriation here. I absolutely understand why the South Asian commenters are concerned that the recipe be properly attributed. Do I have to know the recipe’s origin to enjoy it? No, though that makes it much more interesting. But even if I hadn’t read the comments, I would still have been grateful to have the opportunity to make and enjoy something so delicious, whatever its origin.
These were the best! We topped them with fresh mozzarella and slow roasted cherry tomatoes and I can’t stop thinking about it!
I really took my time with a from-scratch lamb shank korma today for Sunday Lunch and I wanted to do it justice with a bread on the side, but none of the bread recipes in my very authentic (and fussy and hard work and ingredient expensive) Indian cookbook struck my fancy – which was just the excuse I needed to make these! I’ve been wanting to since I first saw the recipe; I only wish I had while I was still eating bread >.<
I halved the recipe without any issue and the family loved them- and to my amazement, they came out looking just like the picture. Maybe a bit more hassle than I see myself doing on the reg (but not hard); definitely worth doing for special occasions or weekends when I have the time though.
Meh.
Like several questions, I was confused as to whether to use 1-2 tsp of unsalted butter for EACH roll or across all 8. I used 2 tsp across all 8. I used Strauss Creamery Greek Yogurt and King Arthur AP flour.
It was a lot of work for not much flavor and no layers. The tough was tough. I let the rolls rest for 45 minutes rolled them thin.
Super disappointed as the Smitten Kitchen All Butter Pie Criust is the the best ever. Was hoping the baking prowess from that would extend to this. Won’t make again.
Could you make these on the grill?
I need your help! I’ve made these twice, both times delicious, but the dough is so sticky that I can’t roll it out without frustration…what am I doing wrong?
Lauren – I had the same issue, I just kept adding flour to the pin and board each time I rolled one out. that helped a lot.
Thank you!
FANtastic! Made as instructed, so good. Thank you.
These were absolutely lovely! The rolling method made them the most dimensional flatbreads I’ve had, they literally have flaky, butter layers. If you’re short on time skip the cigar rolling step, they will still taste good. This dough is magical in how quickly it whips up and how well it rests. Definitely feel out exact water and flour measurements. This makes enough for 8 flatbreads (each person in my family of 4 ate 2), so I would definitely double it for leftovers next time. Delicious with schwarma, indian food, or greek food, but I’d honestly eat them with just about anything. Yum!
So I made this the first time exactly as written (except I mixed and did most of the kneading in my stand mixer) to go with some chicken drums my friend marinated for me in garam masala, green cardamom pods, and some kind of oil. DELICIOUS. So two days later I’ve made it again. This time I blitzed two small onions in my food processor until they were just about minced and cooked them slow in butter until they were soft and golden. While they were cooking I put about a half a cup of golden raisins in the food processor and ran them until they were as small as the onion. I shook a little cumin and cinnamon in the onions, stirred until fragrant and then added the raisins and tossed them around. I sprinkled this mixture on top of the butter before rolling and swirling. SOOOOO GOOOOOD. Thanks for this recipe. I look forward to endless riffs on this one. You never do me dirty, Deb.
First of all, I just made these and they are so yummy! BUT, they came nowhere NEAR to being flat. I refer to them as little doughy discs of goodness :) I’m not sure what happened, but I made them exactly as instructed. I used full fat Greek yogurt, 4 TBS of water. Maybe I missed a step? when I put each one on the pan I tried to flatten them out with the spatula, but that only marginally worked. I also tried flattening the dough first before putting in the pan. again, that only worked so-so.
the dough WAS sticky, but I was able to work around that by adding more flour to the rolling pin and the wooden board.
I could totally see putting some jam on these for breakfast or whenever!!!!
Easy recipe. I used olive oil instead of butter. Would do again.
Just made these, delicious but think I will not bother put butter on before frying. It is quite greasy having so much butter or maybe I was too heavy handed with butter. But lovely recipe. Thank You
I made these today to go with lunch and oh my gosh, so delicious. I kept eating them hot out of the pan (dipped in butter) because I couldn’t help myself and wait. I was so proud that they turned out because I have a bad track record with breads, flatbreads, that kind of thing. These are surprisingly simple, though, and actually fun to make. I found the repetition of rolling them out and frying them up one by one very relaxing. I used a ton of butter (like, double what the recipe calls for) because I was feeling very generous. I was also generous with flouring them when rolling each one out because I wasn’t up to dealing with sticky dough. I found the extra flour didn’t make them dry, and made it really easy to get them made up. Please, everyone, give them a try! They are perfectly flaky, tender, salty. I can see them being used lots of different ways… like maybe using my leftovers for little “pita” wrap sandwhiches?
Just finishing up frying a batch. They are easy and delicious and a lot of fun to make. They were ever so slightly too salty for my taste, so I would probably reduce the salt {I used Diamond Crystal} to 1.5 teaspoons. Anything more than a thin layer of butter made it impossible for them to roll neatly without the butter oozing out of the end, so I think I wound up using maybe half a teaspoon inside. They were still lovely and flaky, and I am delighted. Thank you!
I made these for dinner awhile ago. They were delicious. I kept them in a warm oven while I finished up the rest of preparing dinner. Unfortunately, they got hard and chewy pretty quickly, which made me sad :( Any way to avoid that? Unless we cook and eat them right away……
These are so easy to make and tasty. I followed as instructed and they were great.
I have been following your site and receiving your newsletter (literally the only food-related newsletter I receive and I LOVE to cook–but rarely use recipes) for no less than a decade but I will use my first comment to tell you how much I love these flatbreads. Been eating/making scallion pancakes for my whole life but never thought to play with the dough recipe. I sub garlic salt sometimes (in the dough and the butter) and eat them with everything. More recently been making a big taco of sorts with cilantro pesto, red onions, cheese, bbq tofu, avocado. Amazing!
Thank you!!! I made these with half whole wheat flour which I highly recommend. The results are not as pillowy, but they puff up and form flaky layers. The next time I will not add any water, having noticed the number of comments about sticky dough; I probably overcompensated for the high bran content of a locally produced flour. However, I just kept adding more flour to the counter and rolling pin; all worked out perfectly. A cast iron skillet encourages puffing more than one of those Italian frying pans with eco-friendly coating that TJ Maxx sells. I also recommend not cutting the amount of salt in half. The breads are perfect for scooping up charred, mashed eggplant salad and other wonderful, summertime dishes in Paula Wolfert’s EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN COOKING. Now to wipe up the flour that coats just about every surface in the kitchen!!
Just so you know you will need a lot more than 4 table spoons of butter or olive oil(i used olive oil). I think I used about three times that much for inside the rolls and on either side for cooking.
I made these tonight and they were wonderful. I have been following your blog for years and always appreciate the thought and effort you put into your recipes. Since several commenters have mentioned the similarity to parantha, I thought I would also point out that East Africans use the same technique to make chapati.
Hi there, I posted my review a little while back with a question, thought I would post again.
I made these and they were delicious. BUT, they never got Flat! anyone have a clue as to why!??? I pressed as much as I could down with a spatula while they were cooking. I call them little doughy discs of goodness :)
Did you roll them out after making the spirals?
oh my goodness……I just went back and combed through the directions very carefully……there were so many instructions I missed that step! this is why I don’t bake hahahaha. thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you have trouble rolling them thin? Or did they just puff a lot and never deflate?
so like I said above (in response to Elizabeth), I somehow missed the step of rolling them again once I curled them into the snail formation. this explains why they never got flat! I will definitely try again and make SURE ti include this step! :)
I made these exactly as written, and they were amazing! I topped them with artichoke tapenade and cured meat and they were delicious! My question: If, before rolling them into coils, I layered a light amount of something (tapenade, pesto, garlic/butter, etc.) would that result in a flavored flatbread? I intended to try, then got distracted, and topped them with the tapenade instead. Anyway, thanks Deb for this great recipe!
How much 1 cup of yogurt would be in metric measurements? Or would the ratio of flour-to-yogurt be 2:1 ? Thank you
1 cup of Greek yogurt weighs 230 grams.
Do you think it would be okay to make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate after the first rest?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not sure. In theory, it should be fine, but you don’t want it either too hard or too relaxed.
It worked out great! I made them through the snail stage in the afternoon, refrigerated, and took them out about half an hour before I cooked them.
At a beach house with inadequate cookware and tools. But I brought my sourdough starter (white and rye flours) with me. Made these to go with coconut milk curry lentil stew. Used 2/3 white and 1/3 whole wheat flours along with 1/2 c starter which is very wet so I had to add more flour to get the dough less sticky. Rolled it out using a steel water bottle. Dabbed on the butter using a wad of paper towel. Cooked in an electric skillet because all the pans are no good spoiled teflon pans that have been put out to pasture at this rental. I couldn’t get the heat high enough. They cooked up a bit gummy. Everyone ate them up with gusto but I need to try this actually following the directions!
Has anyone tried to use coconut or chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour? I make this bread all the time and wanted to try some substitutes.
I came back to this recipe today when brainstorming ways to use up sourdough discard. I replaced the yogurt with an equal (by volume) amount of discard and it came out really well! Perfect for when you have excess discard and no yogurt. (And yes I’m a little embarrassed by how stereotypically “quarantine” this is)
First, Deb – the New Yorker profile was a fantastic read – congrats!
I’ve made these four times now & won’t be stopping any time soon! Last night was to sop up the sauce from a harissa/tomato poached halibut dish. I do find that the amount of water I add varies each time, but they are better when the dough is slightly wetter than I *think* it should be. I use Greek yogurt, and prefer the 5% (full fat) to any other variety – it seems to make them more tender. Finally, use a cast-iron skillet if you have one! The char it creates is perfect.
Somehow mine were not as puffy, but I messed around with the flour (used some white whole wheat and einkorn for 2/3 of the weight) and that may be why. I didn’t need any water because my yogurt is liquidy – in fact, added about a tablespoon of extra flour. We also used olive oil instead of butter. They came out very tasty but not tender, delicious with homemade hummus and the tomato cucumber salad on this site.
These are Amazing. I made mine on an electric griddle (brushed dough with melted butter. Even froze them amd reheated in roaster oven. Still amazing. Hard to make with a baby and a toddler around! Even harder to share with them….
I just made these again for the second time. the first time I neglected the step where you roll them after forming the dough into snails. This time I neglected to brush the dough with oil before rolling into cigars, then snails. Instead, I brushed each side with oil right before putting into the pan. One of these days I’ll get it 100% right!
having said that, they turned out perfect!!!!! This time I let the dough sit out for maybe 3 hours…I was busy doing a bunch of stuff and didn’t have time to do the next steps until later…this seemed to make things easier when it came time to cut into wedges and roll each piece out.
These are so delicious and I will continue to make them again and again!
love love LOVE these. I’ve made them twice now, this time adding in scallions, which worked out well for me! I paired this with NYT’s Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach and it was great.
Made them to accompany a butter chicken recipe and they came out exactly as pictured. Very tasty, moderately flaky, lightly crispy exterior. Used a Greek yogurt 10% fat (I think people who used low fat / no fat yogurt may have had the too wet dough issue.) Dough was perfect and relatively easy to handle, a bit sticky – used a lightly floured counter and a plastic film under the rolling pin even though mine is wood and perfectly seasoned after decades of use. It would stick to the pin otherwise and I didn’t want to use too. Much flour.
I would definitely make again for a special occasion – if I’m going to take the time for a special Indian dish, for example, but not otherwise. It is time consuming – yes, there’s resting time while you make it, but it’s for the dough, not the maker:-) While one piece rests you have to roll the other, then while one piece is cooking and getting flipped you have to roll the other, butter it, gently remove from the counter without tearing etc. It’s not difficult but it is fussy – worth it at times but not something I would do regularly.
Deb’s instructions and pics are perfect. I didn’t use the oven to keep warm, just kept on a plate covered with a dish towel (use one you don’t mind staining). They reheat great in a toaster oven.
We LOVE these flatbreads! I’m just making them again to have with daal for dinner. So easy and fun to make and taste wonderful too. I used to make a lot of naan bread but find these so much easier and just as nice (or nicer). I use Total Greek 5% yoghurt and generally need 4 tablespoons of water. It might be helpful to us Brits to have a weight for the yoghurt. Thanks for the recipe!
Deb: Please save me from the misery and disappointment of throwing away another batch of these! I’ve made them your way and they are easy and delicious. I’m trying to cut down on flour and so I tried substituting both almond flour and then coconut flour while using almond milk yogurt. Both times I ended up with a crumbling disaster and heartbreak! Almond flour was too much like “meal” so when I tried coconut flour, I had to ad a ton more water. No dice. Is there something I can add to make them work with a more healthy flour and non-dairy yogurt? Any advice is appreciated.
I just don’t know that these will work as written with non-gluten flours, as they need the gluten to get the layered, bendy texture.
I didn’t have enough yogurt so I went equal parts yogurt and mascarpone. I just added a little more water to get it all to stick and we cooked them on a cast iron over the fire pit last night. They were a huge hit!
Made exactly as is and they turned out perfect. Served with some chicken/chickpea tikka masala (Edible Living’s Instant Pot version, which is another great recipe!) and it was delicious. One note is I accidentally forgot about the ones I was keeping warm in the oven while putting my son to bed, and they ended up crisping up a bit too much. So I’d say if you’re not going to be eating them relatively soon, wrap them and keep them in the fridge to reheat later!
These are amazing! I made them a year ago during lockdown here in NZ – to go with a rogan josh for my husband’s birthday. For some reason another whole year passed by before I made these again, and I can not understand why I haven’t made them every week for the last year. Flakey and many-layered like a good roti, these are going to be my go to. Thank you so much!
Wondering if these were tried/tested with half ww flour or white ww flour?
Made these to go with “everyday yellow dal” and they were fantastic!! The dough was so easy to work with and they turned out just like the pictures. User error – I misread the step about letting them rest a second time for 20 minutes so dinner was a little late but it was worth it. Dairy is in a bit of a shortage where I am and I had to substitute sour cream but they still worked in case anyone else needs a swap.
I still struggle with getting the texture right (using homemade yogurt) but I persist because everyone loves them. I made them tonight to go with shakshuka- we’re a family of 4 so everyone was allotted 2, only my husband was over enthusiastic and ate 3 before I got my second one. Starting divorce proceedings….
These are absolutely one of my favorite recipes. Have made them many times and loved them every time. A friend who is gluten free and dairy free was visiting so I made a batch that worked for her with kite hill almond milk yogurt + bob’s red mill 1:1 gluten free flour.
The ones prepared with dairy and gluten are certainly more puffy and have better texture. And, my friend absolutely loved the dairy free/gluten free one’s and gobbled them up. They are predictably thinner and less layered. I was able to get a tiny bit of layering though, and a few bubbles. After experimenting, I found they preferred to be fried at a higher heat than the regular one’s in order to get crisp.
Also to those asking about do ahead – I have (more times than I’d like to admit) made the dough and then found myself distracted and the dough has languished in the fridge for 1, 2, or even 3 days before cooking. The dough is a little annoying to work with at that point, but as far as I can tell the taste doesn’t suffer.
These are so good! and then they overcooked in the oven waiting for dinner and I cried. So! Maybe turn off the oven once heated to keep them warm.
Always looking for a good flatbread recipe to go with my oven roasted shawarma. This worked perfectly! Made some mistakes (oops!) and still they turned out lovely—did not brush with butter just rolled into balls before the second rest, then oiled my hot pan before cooking each. Puffed up in a lovely fashion. Thankful my mistakes did not cost me the enjoyment of these flatbreads!
Love these
To speed up prep time I roll out half the dough at a time, spread with oil or butter, roll it into one long roll the cut into smaller rolls for the spirals.
Fantastic!
How do these compare with the grilled yogurt flatbreads from the Everyday cookbook?
Those have yeast in them so the texture is more like a pita.
I’ve made these several times now, and they’re so so good. Love the flaky layers, and they’re so tender and flavorful. I’ve been experimenting with grinding my own flour for the last year or so, and I’ve had success making these with all freshly ground soft white wheat. I just have to add slightly more flour (about 290-300g vs the 260). I also do olive oil with some dried herbs in it instead of butter when cooking them (but I stick with butter for the layers). So tasty!